


Maybe You’re Not The Worst Thing Ever

by krysnel_nicavis



Series: Random SPN Porn Collection [10]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Technology, Alien!Castiel, Alien!Gabriel, Alien/Human Relationships, Angst and Porn, Engineer!Dean, First Officer!Castiel, Hate to Like, Hate to Love, M/M, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Star Trek AU, Starfleet, Unrequited Love, like to love, space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-05-09 09:03:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14713139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krysnel_nicavis/pseuds/krysnel_nicavis
Summary: Commander Dean Winchester doesn’t hate aliens. But there’s this one race in particular that he just cannot stand. When Starfleet signs an agreement to allow members of this particular alien race to serve aboard it’s starships, the Chief Engineering Officer has no choice but to, as his brother says, “stow his crap”. Okay, so he can maybe learn to tolerate the engineer they assigned him - Crewman Gabriel is kinda odd and isn’t like all the others of his kind. But the others... Maybe Commander Castiel, the new First Officer, isn’t so bad... Actually, maybe he’s kinda okay... But the rest are still dicks... mostly. Shut up.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love sci-fi/fantasy. I love Supernatural. I just really wanted to write a Star Trek inspired AU. Takes place in no particular ST timeline.
> 
> I was also watching Galavant when I started typing this up. The title is from a song in (I think) the second episode and I thought it was hilarious. Plus, it kinda fit.
> 
> Please Note: For most of this, the first sections of each chapter occur in the present. The second sections occur in the past.
> 
> * * * * * * *

He tripped.

Pain radiated from his elbow. The uneven ground was a mess of roots and fallen leaves and some sort of purplish moss-like substance. On top of that, he was running on a decline. It was amazing he hadn’t pitched headfirst down the hill.

“They’re gaining,” the gravelly voice of his companion stated unnecessarily. He could hear their footfalls just fine, even with his weak human hearing. His companion grabbed hold of his upper arm and effortlessly pulled him to his feet. Unnaturally bright blue eyes assessed him for any obvious injuries.

He rolled his eyes. “I’m fine. Let’s just keep moving.”

They resumed their running. The structure they hoped to take shelter in – assuming the nerds in the Crypto-Linguistics and Xeno-Anthropology labs had the translated the glyphs at the first landing site properly – wasn’t much farther now. He pressed a hand into the stitch in his side. Just a little more. Keep moving.

* * *

“No. I don’t think I’m being unreasonable. A little or otherwise. You, on the other hand—”

“Dean,” Sam said flatly. If Dean bothered to look up from the holo-schematic he’d called up, he was sure he’d see one of the big moose’s patented bitchfaces aimed at him. The way his skin was tingling, he’d guess it was #14. “Look, I get it—”

“Do you? Cause from where I’m sitting it really looks like you don’t. It looks like you forgot. Forgot Mom and—”

“Don’t bring Mom into this.”

 _“Mom_ is the whole point, Sam,” Dean insisted, spinning the holo-schematic wildly and turning his chair to face the giant everyone insisted was his baby brother. “If those asshats had deigned to come down off their clouds and actually do something _useful_ for once instead of sneering down in judgement—”

“Things were different thirty-three years ago, Dean. Their society has come a long way since—”

“Bullshit. If they’d just approved Dad’s original plans for the new engine eleven years ago—”

“They had their reasons for questioning the safety of some of his innovations.”

Dean scoffed. “Yeah. Keeping all us Terrans as squashed under alien thumbs as possible.”

“Now you just sound like one of those Earth Firsters.”

“Don’t you lump me in with those xenophobic jackasses. This has nothing to do with that.”

Sam sighed. “… Look, I’m not saying you need to be all buddy-buddy with any of them. The Ayngel government ignoring the USS Hunter’s distress beacon caused a lot of problems for interstellar relations. It cost a lot of lives, including Mom’s… but you’re going to have to stow your crap and learn to at least be a little tolerant of their presence.” Dean opened his mouth. “No, Dean, I mean it. It’s a done deal. Starfleet’s already signed off on it. As of tomorrow, the USS Lore will welcome officer and crew transfers from the Ayngel Celestial Garrison.”

Dean looked at him incredulously. “Where’d you hear that?”

“Captain Henriksen told me himself.”

“Why the hell didn’t he tell _me?”_

Sam exhaled tiredly. “Dude, _everyone_ knows how you feel about Ayngels. He thought it would be better if you heard it from me. Make it easier or something.” He didn’t sound convinced. Dean had to agree. It wouldn’t have mattered who broke it to him. He’d take it badly.

“Well, I don’t want one of those halo’d bastards crawling around my warp engine, getting feathers stuck in the reaction chamber.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Their wings don’t exist on this plane of existence. There are not feathers.”

“I don’t care. Anti-matter is finicky. I don’t want them crawling all over the reactor and getting everything crossed.”

“Whatever.” Sam stood, drained and no longer caring about his brother’s complaints now that he appeared to have accepted his fate. “I’m heading back to the Crypto-Linguistics lab. I still need to figure out where the damn engineers put everything this time.”

“Hey, don’t diss my people. We’re engineers. We need to express our creativity,” Dean called after him. Though, he had to agree with Sam on this point too. The engineers who designed the layouts of their starships were a little too enthusiastic with their redesigns.

He turned back to his holo-schematic, forcing thoughts of Ayngels out of his head. They were nothing but trouble.


	2. Chapter 2

The rattle-shriek of their pursuers vocalization sounded in the distance. About a hundred and twenty feet or so behind them. Dean’s lungs constricted as he forced air into them, his leg muscles burning in pain. The pyramid-like structure was in sight now that the tree line had broken. Only a few yards ahead. Just a little further.

“Dean, we must hurry.” His companion was keeping pace with him.

Part of him, the smallest part that still instinctually rallied against the notion of civility towards the being, sneered at the obviousness of his statement. It also revolted against the be being staying with him instead of running ahead. He could have easily left Dean and the creatures chasing them behind, but he stayed. He didn’t need the guy’s pandering.

Another part of him, the part that had convinced him to get to know the guy despite himself… Well, that part was more grateful at the “gesture of solidarity”. Maybe he could afford to be a little more openly honest with the guy, assuming they survived this. He wasn’t like the other Ayngels.

* * *

Dean reluctantly took his place between Doctor Benjamin Lafitte (their Chief Medical Officer) and Lieutenant Pamela Barnes (Chief Communications Officer). There were few times he disliked being part of the Senior Staff, but Dean had decided the night before that this was one such occasion.

He sighed, pulling on the hem of his operations red uniform shirt in an effort to straighten out any wrinkles. He tried to not be obvious about just how much he didn’t want to be here.

“Relax, Brother,” Benny said quietly as Captain Victor Henriksen welcomed the Ayngel crew members on board.

“Easy for you to say,” Dean grumbled. “You don’t gotta put up with one of them skulking around your Med Bay, getting into everting like a damned gremlin.”

Pamela snorted. “At least _you_ don’t have to learn the differences between the two main Ayngelic dialects and Daemonian Prime.”

Benny chuckled. “Admit it, cher. You learned that in your spare time just for your own amusement.”

Pamela grinned wolfishly. “In high school.” She winked at the doctor.

“Not that I mind being the super sexy filling in a Pamenny sandwich, but could you two just _not?”_ Dean barely refrained rom crossing his arms.

“As adorable as it is when you pout, It’s not very professional of a Chief Engineering Officer, _Commander_ Winchester,” Pamela teased.

“‘m not pouting…” Dean said in an obvious pout. “Shut up.” He pointedly ignored both of them.

The Ayngel crew members looked every bit the stereotype Dean was expecting. Stuck up. Staring down their noses at everyone and everything. Barely deigning to acknowledge any of the Terrans they were introduced to.

All except one.

There was a rather short Ayngel with blonde hair and a sucker sticking out of his mouth. He grinned and winked at everyone. Even offered to shake their hands. When he got to Dean, he elbowed the side of the Ayngel next to him him and said something that sounded cheeky even to Dean’s ears. Though, that may have been helped by the glint in his inhumanly gold eyes. The taller brunet Ayngel’s cheeks tinged pink as he looked at Dean. His bright blue eyes appeared to glow in the bright glare of the ship’s “daytime” lighting cycle. Their gazes locked. Dean suddenly understood what it must’ve been like to have one of those velociraptors from the old Jurassic Park movies Charlie introduced his to staring at you. The question was: was he Samuel L Jackson or Chris Pratt in this analogy?

He exhaled slowly when the Ayngels continued down the line and the taller one’s eyes moved away from his.

Huh.

He didn’t think Ayngels were capable of blushing.


	3. Chapter 3

Almost there. They were almost—

_“Dean!”_

Pain radiated from his left side. He landed hard. His inured elbow was wrenched harder. Probably a sprain, he wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he hurt and those things were hot on their heels.

He was yanked to his feet and the planet shifted. He watched as the creatures – tall, skeletal, and blue – scrambled towards them like a weird parody fusion of Starship Troopers and Pirates of the Caribbean. It was only when he moved backwards through the pyramid’s entrance that he realized the Ayngel had actually picked him up and carried him.

The creatures shot arrows and hurled heavy, jagged tipped spears after them. They turned a corner and more pain coursed through his body as he was dropped unceremoniously to the stone floor. “Dammit, Cas.” He placed a steadying hand to the arrow that stuck out of his side. “Couldn’t you be a little gentler nest time?”

“M-my apologies, Dean,” Castiel gasped, out of breath. Dean wasn’t small, but he didn’t think he was _that_ heavy.

“Are you okay, man?” He looked to where Cas kneeled a few feet away. “Shit. Cas!” The Ayngel had a large, deep gash along the right side of his rib cage. Dean’s brain belatedly realized the dim light in the dark chamber was emanating from the celestial being’s grace.

* * *

“Room service! I have the kielbasa you ordered.” Came a heavily accented, and greatly amused, voice. Dean banged his head on the console he was working on. Cursing, he came out from under it and sat glaring at the menace he was forced to put up with.

“Dammit, Gabriel.”

“Apologies, Dux meus,” Crewman Gabriel bowed before popping a sucker in his mouth. Not for the first time, Dean wondered if sugar was an intoxicant for Ayngels. Like Vulcans and chocolate. Gabriel wagged his eyebrows. “While I can assure you I don’t ‘skulk’, I do serve a purpose. Though it’s probably an ill advised idea to feed me after midnight.” Dean frowned. “Ayngel hearing is at more sensitive than your adorable little Terran ears are capable of. I heard you and your friends when we first arrived.” Dean at least had the decency to look uncomfortable. “I am just as capable an engineer as you are, man. Even if I don’t have any pips on my collar.”

Dean took a deep, grumbling breath. “Hand me that wrench,” he growled and ducked back under the console. He missed Gabriel’s expression brightening as he immediately reached for the requested tool.

Three hours later, Dean was beginning to regret the olive branch he’d extended the pint-sized concentrated bottle of humour and sass. The guy never. Shut. Up. Not once. It didn’t matter if you acknowledged him or not. He held both sides of the conversation.

Dean sighed in relief as he turned into the Mess Hall and Gabriel was immediately surrounded by a group of Ayngels already there. The Ayngel engineer’s voice faded as the group moved towards a table across the room and Dean continued over to the replicators. He took a moment to enjoy the relative silence, the sound of chatter falling into the background like white noise.

“Apologies, on behalf of my brother,” a gravelly voice said. “Gabriel is of the Arch Host. They can, how do you say…? Be a little many?”

“… be a bit much?” Dean quirked an eyebrow and looked at the owner of the voice. He was met with the intense gaze of the blue-eyed brunet he’d seen Gabriel talking to when they’d first arrived on the Lore. First Officer, Commander Castiel.

“Standard is unnecessarily complicated.”

Dean snorted. “I don’t get how something as simple as ‘a bit much’ trips you up, but you completely understand ‘unnecessarily complicated’.”

“‘A bit much’ is a contradiction. Sometimes it is necessary to be complicated.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “I think you mean an oxymoron.”

“Yes. That.”

Dean gave him a once over. There was something… different… about this one. And not Gabriel-different. He couldn’t figure out what it was. “I’m getting a burger. Have you eaten yet?” He asked before he could even consider stopping himself. He’d just gotten rid of one of these guys. For all he knew, none of them stopped talking once the got started.

“No… What is a ‘burger’?”

Dean was visibly startled.


	4. Chapter 4

“Cas, stop it. Just… _stop.”_ Dean pushed the Ayngel’s hands away. In recent months, Castiel had begun using his ability to heal others with his grace, particularly when it was Dean who was injured. But the worse the injury, the more grace it burned up. Dean appreciated it, he really did. But Cas also needed all the grace he could spare to help heal himself.

It seemed unfair.

Ayngels could use their grace to heal others in an instant. Even each other. But, while their self-healing factors were accelerated by Terran standards, it was still torturously slow. Dean eyed Castiel’s side worriedly. He tried not to think of the last time he saw this much grace seeping out of him.

“It we had more supplies I could at least remove the arrow.” The expression on Cas’ face was an easy on to read. Actually, _all_ of Castiel’s expressions were easy to read. It was another in a list of quirks that proved that he was different from what Dean had expected from Ayngels.

“Stop that,” Dean chastised. “This isn’t your fault. At least it didn’t hit anything vital. And, for the record, you’re not useless. Just because you can’t snap your fingers and mojo us the hell out o here.”

It bothered him more than he’d ever admit out loud. Dean knew it did. The loss of one’s wings was devastating for an Ayngel. Dean had no idea of how to help him.

He looked around the chamber they were in. They needed to find the artifact and get to higher ground. If Castiel’s calculations were correct, and they usually were when it wasn’t interpersonal interaction he was dealing with, the cloud cover should dissipate within the hour. Whatever was causing the disturbance with the communicators should clear up with it.

He forced himself to his feet, wincing as the wound in his side pulled. Eyeing Cas’ side, grace still slowly soaking into his command gold shirt, he prayed they had enough time to wait.

* * *

Dean frowned at the disapproving glare Crewman Hannah shot at his from behind Castiel’s back.

Ever since that first time the previous year, when he’d introduced the XO to the wonders of cheeseburgers, the two had spent a steadily increasing amount of their free time together. What started as a meal once a week grew into twice a week, weekdays, then the majority of the meals they didn’t work through. Eventually they were just spending time together. Listening to music, playing cards, sparring in the gym.

With few exceptions – namely Gabriel - the other Ayngels opposed their ever growing friendship. None dared voice their distaste to Castiel. Not after that one time, three months after the burgers, when Uriel had suggested that Castiel may no longer be fit for duty with all his fraternizing with the “mud monkeys”. In response, Castiel had enacted some ancient Ayngelic right and they’d diverted the ship to their home planet, Ayngel.

The non-Ayngelic crew members weren’t privy to witness the Right, but they were all welcomed to spend shore leave in the floating sky-cities of the chilly water planet. The officers were even invited to a dinner hosted by Castiel’s mother, a severe looking Ayngel female named Naomi – apparently the term “brother/sister” were a loose terms Ayngels used, similar to “friend”, and did not always apply to one’s siblings, or “nestmates”. Cas and Gabe weren’t actually related. Plus side, Dean finally heard Castiel’s full name spoken aloud. (And he thought Vulcan family names were complicated.) In the end, Castiel returned to the ship with the other Ayngel crewmen… Uriel did not.

Despite this, most of the other Ayngels still found ways of letting Dean know how they felt about their continued friendship. It was little things. Looks from behind the Ayngel Commander’s back. Snide remarks when Castiel wasn’t around that just bordered on insubordination. Using their native dialect when speaking to Cas in front of him. Some still tried to steer him away from sitting at Terran occupied tables in the Mess Hall, when they thought they could get away with it – away from Dean in particular.

It was usually hinting at him eating his meal at their table before he chose a seat. He rarely followed them when they did this anymore, preferring to chose when he wanted to sit with them on his own. There were only three who persisted with this tactic. Hannah was one of them.

It made Dean happy when he’d enter the Mess Hall to find Sam and Cas in an animated discussion about something the Crypto-Linguistics department had discovered on whatever planet they’d visited recently. Animated on Sam’s part, at least.

Dean suddenly smirked at Hannah’s glare and continued to listen to Cas talk about Terran honeybees and how they were almost wiped out at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The Ayngels could glare all they wanted. Castiel was his friend. His _best_ friend, come to think of it. It was almost funny. A couple of years ago, Dean had been adamant that he’d never be able to even be civil with an Ayngel. Heck, last year he couldn’t believe he was willingly sitting down to dinner at the same table as one. And now?

He couldn’t picture his life without _this_ one… and maybe Gabe too. The guy had an interesting sense of humour and he got on with Sam like a house on fire. And, okay, he was a damn fine engineer. Even little Alfie (Samandriel) in the Botany labs was an okay dude.

The rest… Like he said. They could glare all they want. Cas was his friend. His _family_. Nothing was going to get in the way of that.


	5. Chapter 5

Dean shuddered as pain rippled through through him. Wasn’t your body supposed to go numb from pain? It was the third time he’d stumbled in the dim light of his small flashlight.

Without bothering to ask if he was alright, Cas pulled the arm on Dean’s uninjured side over his shoulders, taking some of Dean’s weight.

“Cas…” Dean began to protest.

“I may no longer have my wings, but even with this injury, I can manage my pain threshold better than you can at the moment. And we need to keep moving.”

Dean tried but couldn’t muster the energy needed to argue. He was in pain and bleeding and still had an arrow lodged in him. “So where do you think this artifact even is?”

Cas studied the walls without a flashlight, his night vision far better than Dean’s. In the darkness of the halls, Dean stared at the obvious glow of the Ayngel’s blue eyes. His body felt heavy and the ground swayed. “If I’m reading these glyphs correctly, I believe we are getting closer.” Cas’ voice was oddly muffled and there was a ringing in his ears that sounded like when Ayngels tried to use their telepathic communications on non-telepathic species. “Dean?” His voice echoed. _”Dean.”_

* * *

Dean set the away shuttle down on a patch of level ground. Atmospheric disturbances made it absolutely necessary for an engineer to be part of the away team. Much to Crewman Hannah’s apparent dismay, Dean had been next on the rotating short-list in engineering. They were only gathering samples, so the geologist no doubt had hoped to spend some quality time with the First Officer without Dean sewn to his hip.

If it weren’t for her dismissiveness of Terrans in general, he might even pity her. If it was just him she didn’t like, it might even be funny. As it was, he was simply entertained with having a front row seat to the ongoing soap opera. A blind man could see how much the female wanted Cas for a mate. So much so that she even chased off the other Ayngels who showed interest in him. Too bad his buddy’s vision was so sharp. He couldn’t see the big picture when it came to her.

“Everything checks out with the shuttle,” Dean said as he closed the access panel. “I think the lab geeks can handle the samples.” He grinned. “Let’s check out the terrain from up there.” He and Cas climbed up to the top of an overhang about a hundred feet above where the others gathered happily with their supplies. He sometimes wondered if Ayngels could shoot lasers out of their eyes with the way the back of his head tingled on occasion.

From this high up, they could see the wheat coloured fields of what was probably some sort of local grass. Dean took a deep breath of air. The planet’s atmosphere was rich in oxygen. Not enough to put them at risk of hyperoxia, but enough for him to feel more refreshed than he could remember in years.

“Is this what it’s like?” Castiel asked, looking out at the scenery.

“What?”

“Earth. Your home. I believe you and Sam are from an area where sights similar to this are common.”

Dean took in the fields. “Actually, it kind of is. But its flatter.”

“Do you miss it? Your home?”

“Sure I do. I miss going to the bar with they guys on weekends. Hustling entitled, rich college kids out of their daddy’s money at pool. Greasy diner food. The burgers are way better on Earth when they’re handmade. Not like this simulated replicator food.”

“I think I’d like to try an authentic Earth burger.”

“Maybe you could come with me, one day. When the Lore is back in space dock getting retrofitted. I could take you to the Roadhouse. My aunt, Ellen, owns it. Makes the best cheeseburger you’ll ever taste.”

“I would enjoy that.”

“I could even take you out on the open road in Baby.”

Castiel grinned. “I would very much enjoy the honour of meeting your treasured car.”

“It’s a date,” Dean grinned. His face heated. “I mean, it’s, uh, it’s a plan. That we made. To go. Later. Y’know, at a later date. As friends. Not that I think a date with you would be a bad thing, I just—”

“Dean. I believe this is when it would be appropriate to say ‘cool it’?”

Dean snorted. “Yeah, okay.” He huffed and turned back to the view, faces till burning.

“I would enjoy a date with you, too. When we get to Earth.”

Dean’s head whipped around to stare at him. “I—” He lost his footing.

“Dean?” The ground beneath them shook. Hard. “Dean!”

The overhang gave way and a rush of heat surrounded them.

_”Cas!”_


	6. Chapter 6

Dean opened his eyes. The sky was an array of colours, like it always was at sunset. Seeing it never failed to reminded him of all the road trips he and Sammy took with their father. He’d had to travel for work a lot when they were kids. After Mom died when the USS Hunter exploded just on the edge of Ayngel space. Before Bobby recognized John’s mechanic genius.

Wonder if Sammy wanted to grab a beer at the Roadhouse later. He might get the chance to flirt with that Med student that sometimes came in with her friends. What was her name? Jenny? Joy? Jessica.

Maybe Lisa would be there. She was always fun to flirt with. And she had awesome taste in music. He wondered what she thought of bees. Would Cas like her too? He bet they’d bond over yoga and bees. He could teach Cas how to play pool and they could listen to Led Zeppelin.

Hey, where was Cas, anyway? What’s that sound? Why does it sound like the teacher from Charlie Brown?

His hearing rushed back like water bubbling to the surface right before a geyser burst through the ground. Castiel was beside him, talking into a communicator. Dean turned his head. His chest constricted and he felt a pain that had nothing to do with his injury. He’d only seen his friend that pale once before. It wasn’t a good memory.It was one he was more than happy to forget all together.

“C… C…”

“It’s alright, Dean. We’ll be back on the Lore any minute. They’re still having trouble locking onto our bio signs. But the remaining cloud over has almost completely dissipated.”

It was okay. They were okay. Cas still sounded like himself. There was nothing to worry about. This wasn’t like _that_ time.

His molecules began to disassemble as the transporter locked on. They were fine.

The transporter room materialized and Benny’s team were there, waiting. He turned to give Cas a thumbs up when— ”Cas!”

The Ayngel lost consciousness.

They were definitely _not_ okay…

* * *

The first thing he was aware of was the noise. Screaming in pain. In fear. Terse voices barking orders. It was chaos. The second thing he noticed was that the pain had, not stopped, but was dulled. He groaned, trying to once his limbs to cooperate.

“Easy there, lad. I’m just about finished with the worst of it.”

That sounded like… “Rowena?” Nurse MacLeod. The Scottish Head Nurse, and Benny’s right hand in Med Bay. “Wha—”

Am I going to have to knock you out then, dearie? Or are you going to lie there like a good boy and let me finish patching you up?”

Dean dropped his head back and stopped trying to get up. “Wh… wha happ’nd?”

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

”Hmm… I, um… I flew the shuttle down to the planet.”

“Mm-hmm. What happened next?”

What happened next? What happened next? “… I checked the shuttle. Made sure the weird particles hadn’t damaged anything. That we could take off.”

“Anything else?”

He looked down at where she had the dermal regenerator over his legs. The areas she hadn’t gotten to yet were badly burned. It was so deep where she was working that he was surprised he couldn’t see his bone.

“Dean?”

“Huh?

“Do you remember anything else? After checking the shuttle?”

“U-um…” He thought back. It was a simple mission. Sample collection for the Physical Geography Department. He remembered… “Crewman Hannah was glaring at me… I didn’t see it but… I can always feel it.” She’d wanted to spend time with Cas on the away mission. He could tell. But Dean was on the away team… “Cas… Me and Cas. We climbed up higher to see…” The wheat fields… The Roadhouse… _It’s a date…_ Home… _I believe this is when… cool it…_ Heat… and… “Cas!”

Rowena pushed down on his chest, making chastising sounds. “Ach, you’re not going anywhere until I’m done with you. You will _not_ be walking with a permanent limp if I have anything to say about it.”

“Cas—”

“Benny’s working on him now.” She pointed to the side.

He turned and, through the controlled chaos of the Med Bay, past all the others who were bleeding and burned and being tended to, on the opposite side of the room, he saw…

“Cas…” he rasped.

Castiel was laid out on a bed, a whole bunch on medical equipment surrounding him. Benny and several other medical personnel were working on him. He was unconscious and pale and his skin was badly burned. There was a bright, glowing substance dripping rom the bed…

“His grace…”

Rowena purr a hand on his arm. “It’ll be alright, Dean.” The woman was sarcastic, brash, and had a dirty mouth, but she had a good heart and she knew her craft well.

“You got to help. You gotta help him.”

“And I will. As soon as I’m done here, I’ll head right on over. Now, you lay there and let me so my job or I’ll rethink keeping your awake.” She resumed her use of the dermal regenerator. “And be thankful I remembered to numb the pain. It’s been a long time since I had something so pretty writhing under me.”

He glared at her. She smirked and proceeded to ignore him.


	7. Chapter 7

Dean gasped, pushing himself up onto his elbows.

“Cas!”

“Y’know, the way the two of you are together is so sweet, it actually makes me throw up in my mouth a little.”

He looked over to see Nurse Masters lounging at a nearby desk. She was most likely flipping trough one of those trashy tabloid publications she liked so much on her Data Pad.

“What?”

She set the Pad aside and checked his vitals. “Your boyfriend woke up hours ago asking after you. Doc released him. He should be resting in his quarters.”

“He’s okay?”

“Relatively.” She tapped a few things before pressing the call button, requesting Benny.

“What does that mean?”

“I’m sure his little fan club is taking extra special care of him,” she sneered. If there was one thing he and Meg Masters agreed on, it was their shared opinion of Crewman Hannah. Castiel really was an odd one. Ayngels and Daemons were like oil and water. Neighbouring planets and natural adversaries. Despite this, Cas had quite easily managed to befriend the thorny nurse.

“What aren’t you saying?” She remained silent. “Oh, c’mon. Spill.” She simply stared at him. “I hate it when you do this..” That earned him a smirk. Bitch just loved to leave him hanging.

“How you feeling, brother?” Benny asked cheerily as he approached.

“I’m alive and everything seems to be in place.”

“Everything but your pride.” Meg cut in. “They had to carry you in bridal style. Pain heals, but video lasts forever.” She smirked again.

Benny grinned at Dean’s horrified expression. “If I were you, I’d take the opportunity to escape now. I don’t want to have to strap you to the ed for trying to strangle one of my staff.”

Dean perked up. “I’m free to go?”

“Your vitals check out, and you healed up nicely. So long as you take it easy the next couple days, I don’t see why you can’t real in your personal quarters.

“Sweet. Thanks, Benny.” He hopped off the bed and reached for his shoes. “Hey, how’s Cas doing?”

“Well, he’s healed up fine.” Benny’S tone suggested otherwise.

“Benny? What’s wrong with Cas?”

Benny sighed. “It’s an Ayngel issue. Physically, he’s completely fine.”

“But?”

“He’s going to have to explain it to you himself.”

* * *

Dean arrived at Castiel’s quarters. It was Thursday. They had a standing movie night on Thursdays so long as neither of them was otherwise detained. His palms were sweaty and he was self-conscious. Oh god. He was nervous. Why was he nervous? This was Cas. His best friend. They’d known each other for nearly two years.

And yet…

The door slid open, making him jump.

“Hello, Dean.”

Castiel stood, dressed in a loose fitting cotton shirt and pants. His preferred off duty attire. He looked pale with dark bags under his eyes. Drained. His features looked pinched.

“Hey, Cas.”

Cas stepped back, inviting Dean in. He cleared his throat and entered, wiping his hands on his jeans. He watched Cas move over to the small couch in the living area of his personal quarters. His movements were stiff. Like he was in pain. He sank onto the cushions and leaned against the arm rest. He looked exhausted.

Dean’s eyes burned and his throat tightened. “Oh, god,” he croaked out. He dropped to his knees in front of the Ayngel. This was all his fault. All his fault. If he hadn’t suggested standing on that overhang. If he’d been paying more attention. If—

“Dean!” Cas said sternly. “Dean, this was _not_ your fault.” He was kneeling on the floor in front of him, holding his face in his hands. It took Dean a while to realize he’d been saying it all out loud.

“But, Cas… Your…”

Cas looked sad. “I know, Dean.”

Dean held his wrists, leaning their foreheads together “I am so sorry.”

Cas sighed. “I know that too…” He closed his eyes, breathing evenly. Dean stayed silent, just listening to him breathe. Slow. Steady. Controlled.

Then his breath hitched. Dean could feel him tremble. Suddenly, he had his arms full of sobbing Ayngel. He held his friend, rocking him gently like he used to do to Sam when the boy had had a nightmare. He ran his hand through the thick, messy, dark hair and let him cry. Let him rage against the unfairness of it all.

No matter what Cas said about it, Dean blamed himself.

When the geologists had been collecting their samples, they’d set a charge to mine a little into the cliff side. The area they’d chosen was above this planet’s version of a dormant volcano. The charge was set a little too high and they’d accidentally opened a fissure. Castiel had used his grace to protect him and Dean, using his wings to propel them away from the explosion. But this planet’s properties were closer to those of Ayngel than Earth. The volcanic emissions had set his wings ablaze. They’d burned up and, as a result, he and Cas had crash landed on the ground below.

Cas had lost his wings.

They lay together on Cas’ bed, Dean holding him protectively. The Ayngel placed his hand on the strange burn mark on Dean’s left bicep. Shaped like a handprint, Rowena had been unable to heal it. For a while, he felt at piece. They held each other and slipped into sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Quick note: there are no more time skips to the past, the last two chapters occur entirely in the present.)

Dean didn’t bother to stop at his own room. He practically ran all the way to the First Officer’s quarters. He had to see for himself. He had to know. Benny said Cas was physically healed. Images of his pale face flashed through his mind. Images of this time and the last.

He hit the button outside Cas’ quarters to announce he was outside. He had to know. He had to—

“What are _you_ doing here?” Hannah spat, standing in Castiel’s quarters like she friggin _belonged_ there.

”Where’s Cas?”

She huffed. “Haven’t you done enough? He belongs with his own kind. You don’t belong here.”

“The hell I don’t.” He tried to push past her. “Cas,” he called. Castiel wasn’t in the living area. “Cas?” Where was he?

“Hannah, let him in.” Gabriel said, exiting Cas’ bedroom. He had an uncharacteristic serious expression. One Dean only ever saw when the ship’s safety was in danger. His stomach felt like it had dropped out. Something was seriously wrong.

“But, Gabriel—“

“You can go now, Hannah.” She continued to try and protest. “I’ll call you if you’re needed.” He dismissed her and, when she refused to move, he stared her down. Dean watched as her bravado crumbled and she submitted. It was easy for Dean to forget that, in the Ayngel hierarchy, Gabriel, one of the Arch Host, actually outranked all the other Ayngels on the ship. She bowed her head and exited, knocking into Dean’s shoulder as she went. The door slid shut behind her.

“Gabriel. What the hell, man?”

Gabriel sighed heavily and dropped into a seat. He looked older all of a sudden. Weary. “Castiel is… fading.”

“What?”

“You better sit down for this.”

Dean did so, heart thudding in his chest. “Dude, what’s happening? What do you mean ‘fading’?”

Gabe sighed again and scrubbed his face with his hands. “Okay, so. You know that when our species take a mate, it’s for life, right?”

“Cas mentioned that before. But what does that… does he have to find a wife?” Dean asked, startled. Panic welled up inside him. He was going to lose… He squashed the thought before it could fully form.

“No. It doesn’t work that way.” He paused, appearing to gather his thoughts. “Your species has a sexual orientation known as ‘demisexual’. Do you know what that means?”

Dean nodded. “Yeah, Sammy’s demi.”

“Well, for simplicity’s sake, our entire species is essentially the same way. While this prevents arranged marriages, in the sense that you understand the term, our people will, on occasion, arrange tentative marriage contracts with other families in hopes of forming a familial alliance. Particularly affluent families like Castiel’s. Parents will arrange a series of play dates with potential mates as their children grow up in the hopes that they’ll get to know one another and form the necessary emotional portion of the Bond.”

“What’s the point of all this?”

“It’s a lot, I know. But bear with me. One of the contracts Castiel’s family arranged was with Hannah’s family.

Dean swallowed around the lump in his throat. “… so, he and Hannah are going to…”

“Do the do? No.” Gabriel looked amused at this. “Not that she hasn’t been trying. But his interests have always lain elsewhere. If he had been capable of forming the necessary emotional bond with her, he would have by now. Actually, for the past year or so, his interests have been pointed in one particular direction.”

“So, if he has a potential mate, why is he fading?”

“Because he’s a dumbass. Don’t get me wrong, I love the guy like he was my actual brother, but he’s kind of an idiot.”

Dean frowned. “What…?”

“It’s called Pining Sickness. Sometimes, when an Ayngel has chosen a mate, formed the emotional side of the bond, and that potential mate rejects them, the bond turns sour. Some of us can’t handle it. When that happens, we fall into a pining depression and die.”

_“What?”_ Dean shot out of his seat. “He can’t die. He… he just _can’t_. Not after everything we’ve been through.” Dean was fuming. “Who the hell is the dick bag who rejected him anyway?”

“That would be you, Deano.”

“That son of a— wait, what?”

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “He loves you, you idiot. Heaven knows why. You’re just as dense as he is.”

Dean collapsed back into his seat. “He loves me? Like, loves-loves me?”

“You catch on quick, don’t you?”

“Wait. You said Pining Sickness happens when the potential mate rejects them. How did it…?”

“Like I said. Because he’s and idiot.” Gabe scratched his head. “Look, I’ve been trying to get him to tell you ever since he accidentally branded you with that mating mark last year.”

“… wait, you mean that handprint?”

“Yes. Try to keep up. He had already formed the emotional part of the bond with you. And when that fissure exploded, his grace just sort of… reacted.” He took a weary breath. “Ever since, the incomplete bond has been slowly eating away at him.”

“How badly was he injured this time?”

“Oh, it’s got nothing to do with that. This would have happened regardless.”

Dean was silent. “Gabriel… what do I do?”

”The only thing you can do: the honest thing. I’m not going to lie. If you don’t feel the same way about him, _honestly_ feel it… you’ll just have to let this run its course. You can’t fake it with this bond. It’ll know and you’ll just break his heart worse.”

“And if I did?”

Gabriel stood, straightening his shirt. “It’s now or never, champ.” He gave Dean a long look and left.

Dean sat in the quiet living area, alone. The room he’d spent so many nights over the past three years. Laughing, crying, yelling. They’d talked and watched old movies and television shows. Read in companionable silence and played card games while drinking replicated beer.

Could this really be it?


	9. Chapter 9

Dean shut the door of his beloved classic car. It had been passed down through generations. Carefully maintained and restored over the centuries. He patted her roof and sighed. He sat on a nearby bench and looked out at the scenery from the viewpoint.

He looked up at the sky, thinking of all the planets that lay amongst the stars that he couldn’t see in the brilliant light of the sunset. “Earth really is beautiful, isn’t it Cas?” He asked quietly. He sighed again. Unbidden, it reminded him of that day, on the planet with the weird blue skeleton creatures. They’d both been injured, and then Cas was fading.

It was times like this when he wished things could have gone differently.

“Why does that make you sad?” His companion asked as they took a seat beside him, the infant in their arms fussed for a moment.

“Cause we only got about a week before we leave again.”

“It’ll be alright. We’ll come back again. And each time we’ll enjoy it all the more because it is so short.”

“Why are you always so philosophical when I’m trying to mope?”

“Because I’m your husband. It sort of comes with the job.”

Dean shot a look at the Ayngel next to him. “So, being married to me is a job?” Yeah, if the’d been honest with each other sooner, they could’ve been enjoying this the whole time.

Castiel rolled his eyes. “It is when you’re being annoying.” He adjusted the little hat on the six month old infant’s head, whips of blond hair poking out from the edge. The little boy looked up at Dean with unnaturally bright blue eyes.

The artifact they’d retrieved from that planet – when the mission had gone sideways and the species that had taken over the planet came after them – was supposed to have healing powers. Turned out the geniuses in the Crypto-Linguistics lab made a small translation error. Yes, it did “give life”. It just meant it in more of a reproductive sense. The Xeno-Anthropologists figured it was the dead civilizations attempt at saving their species. And since the two of them were injured when it was retrieved, Castiel’s grace and Dean’s blood came in contact with the artifact and it did as it was intended.

Ten months later, it opened to reveal a tiny newborn baby. A perfectly healthy, half-human, half-Ayngel baby boy.

They named him Jack.

“I’m being annoying? Excuse you, but who was it that insisted on stopping to take a photo of every crop field and herd of cows we passed coming up here?”

“Agriculture and livestock are very important to the sustainability of—“

“Cas, it’s the continental mid-west. All we got are crops and cattle.”

Castiel glared. “I love you even when you’re being a dick.”

Dean grinned. “Oh, I’ll show you a dick.”

Cas covered Jack’s ears. “Dean. Language.”

“He doesn’t understand what I’m saying.”

“Children are very impressionable.”

Dean sighed and dropped his head. “Yes, dear.”

Cas kissed the top of his head. “Thank you.”

They watched the sun finish setting. Dean took out his phone as he stood.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m seeing if Ellen wants to babysit her grand-nephew for the night.”

“Are you sure it’s not an imposition, asking this late?”

“Cas, I intend to ravish you without restraint at least once on this trip. We leave in two days to visit Bobby. I’m taking the enthusiastic, and free, child care while I can.”

“Jody has already indicated she wishes to care for Jack while we’re in South Dakota.”

“Too late, she already said yes.” Dean grinned, kissing Cas as he took Jack to strap him into his carseat.

* * *

Dean shut the hotel room door and leaned against it, watching Castiel move around the room, picking up random things and setting them aside to deal with in the morning. He love seeing his husband like this – and wasn’t that a heady thing to say: _husband_ – the domesticity of it. His chest constricted as he realize he’d almost lost it before he ever knew it was an option.

He surged forward and pulled Castiel to him, bodies pressed flush together, chest to chest.

“Is this the part where you ‘ravish me without restraint’?”

“Yes.” Dean silenced him with a kiss. And, because he tried to speak again, another. And another. He kept kissing him until the Ayngel melted against him, breathing a sigh.

He pushed him onto the bed, climbing up to straddle him. Grinding down so their denim clad cocks rubbed against each other. He tossed his jacket and shirt aside before working on his husband’s. Kissing and licking at the exposed skin as he went. He continued in this fashion until they lay naked together, consumed by their arousal.

Dean slicked himself up with their favourite lube and lay on his back, lining himself up with the ring of Castiel’s ass as he lowered himself onto his waiting cock. He sighed contently as he was surrounded by the heat of the alien body. Unlike this afternoon’s quickie in Baby’s back seat – a tight fit with the car seat in the way – he savoured the feeling. He squeezed Cas’ ass as his husband rode him, sliding a hand up his back. He listened intently to the tiny whimpers that escaped Cas’ mouth, desperately wanting to be facing him.

Cas pulled off him and lay on his back beside him, drawing up his knees. “Need to see you.”

“Babe, I think you read my mind.”

“No, I promised I wouldn’t do that.”

Dean smirked and rolled up onto his knees, taking himself in hand and guiding his cock back into Cas’ waiting hole. “Fuck, baby, you feel so good.” He thrust slowly, leaning down to balance on his forearms as he rocked into Cas.

Castiel sighed into a kiss, hands coming up to grip Dean’s waist. They didn’t often get the luxury of taking their time to enjoy each other on a starship – less so since their son was born. Dean pressed his forehead into Cas’ neck, surrounding himself in him. Feeling connected.

He pushed himself back up onto his knees, and pulled up one of Cas’ legs to balance on his shoulder. “Hold on,” he grinned, and snapped his hips forward. Cas’ arms came up to grip the pillow beneath his head. The sound of the mattress springs and skin slapping on skin was soon joined by wanton moans as they threw themselves into passion.

They turned over so Castiel was riding him again, hands on Dean’s chest for leverage. He ground down so the head of Dean’s cock massaged his prostate at just the right angle. Sweat slicked their skin as all thought fled in the wake of their desire. Their need.

Cas’ cock bobbed, leaking precum onto Dean’s stomach. Dean reached up and, using the clear fluid as lubricant, squeezed and slid his hand along the thick shaft, jerking him off.

Castiel came with a loud groan, head tilted back. He clamped down, riding Dean’s cock with jerky thrusts of his hips, until Dean tensed and came as well.

They lay next to each other, staring up at the ceiling, until constructive thoughts began to filter back into their brains and they remembered how to string words together in a way that made sense to someone other than themselves.

“We’re doing this again in South Dakota.” Castiel stated.

“Hell yeah,” Dean agreed, slapping Cas’ bare thigh. He sighed with a grin. “Awesome.”


End file.
